The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 10, 2012
Filed:
Mar. 31, 2010
Applicant:
Hardayal S. Gill, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Inventor:
Hardayal S. Gill, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Assignee:
Hitachi Global Strorage Technologies Netherlands, B.V., Amsterdam, NL;
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G11B 5/127 (2006.01); H04R 31/00 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
Abstract
Magnetoresistive (MR) elements having flux guides defined by the free layer. The MR element includes a free layer, a spacer/barrier layer, a pinned layer, and a pinning layer. A back edge of the free layer (opposite the sensing surface of the MR element) extends past a back edge of the spacer/barrier layer. The portion of the free layer extending past the back edge of the spacer/barrier layer defines a continuous flux guide. The flux guide is processed to reduce the conductive characteristics of the flux guide, thereby reducing current shunt loss in the flux guide.